Ep 27: Lifesaving Chiropractors - DC’s Who Have Saved a Life
May 16th, 2011 at 3:25 pm (episode, chiropractic, health, responsible chiropractic, emergency)
When we are measuring the impact chiropractors have by their presence in the health care system, and not just in spine care, but our presence overall, there may be something missing. Many chiropractors have had a dramatic effect on the public's health by being properly trained in diagnosis and emergency procedures. By being a portal of contact for a patient who is discovered to have a life threatening condition, the chiropractor may be integral in starting the chain of survival much sooner than the natural history. Or, the chiropractor may actually perform an emergency procedure that leads to an immediate change in a patient's ability to survive.
When the lawmakers and stakeholders sit down to carve up the medical allocation pie, there are some large pieces that get allocated to hospitals and emergency care, some large pieces that go to prescription drugs, some smaller pieces that go to specialties like obstetrics. By the time they get around to even thinking about chiropractic care, the pie is pretty well carved up. The justification for this frequently is, well, chiropractic is a nice thing to have. But it's like massage - not a necessity -- more of a nicety.
This episode's stories illustrate that lives have depended on a chiropractor's quick actions. Some of the doctors who told their stories are listed below:
- Mike Simone, DC Simone Physical Medicine, Dacono, CO
- Cynthia Vaughn, DC Austin Chiropractic Center, Austin, TX
- John Ventura, DC Rochester Chiropractic Group, Rochester, NY
- Keren Day, DC New York, New York
- Brett Kinsler, DC Natural Health Chiropractic, Rochester, NY
- William Grosso, DC Rockland Health Chiropractic Assoc. New City, NY
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Dr. James J. Lehman said,
May 17, 2011 at 7:13 am
Dear Dr. Kinsler:
Thank you for sharing these “life-saving” chiropractic stories.
At the University of Bridgeport Chiropractic College, our students are taught to perform emergency medical services by an EMT professional. Our four-year training program prepares chiropractic students to make a diagnosis prior to implementing care. Chiropractic physicians are trained to perform evaluation and management services that include diagnosis, spinal care and select primary care services.
Anyone searching for chiropractic services should select a practioner who performs an appropriate history taking process and physicial examination in order to make the right diagnosis prior to treatment. If the chiropractor is too busy to perform a history and examination before adjusting your spine, I suggest you find a different chiropractic physician to care for you.
Keep up the great work,
James J. Lehman, DC Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences University of Bridgeport
Rochester Chiropractor said,
May 27, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Your episodes are really good. thanks for sharing.
Todd Lloyd, DC said,
July 12, 2011 at 10:22 am
I agree with Dr. Lehman. I use to naively think that all chiropractors take a medical history, perform an exam, and formulate a diagnosis prior to adjusting a patient. But, sadly, there are many who do not.
Todd
Chiropractor Rochester NY said,
November 1, 2011 at 10:30 am
I would also like to agree and appreciate what Dr. Lehman said. Although I am not a Chiropractor myself, I have sought out chiropractor care and the doctor that I worked with did take the time to understand my history and look at what was going on with my body as a whole before just throwing me on the table and cracking me into place. It certainly helped me to gain confidence that he was looking out for my own good and not just trying to make a buck.